Monday, April 30, 2012

It seemed right that Zippers should be the final entry in this year's challenge. Finished the project and zipping it closed until next year -- that's what I'm doing. Never thought I'd finish, with all the outside things to do begging for attention; but, apparently, there's little else to do between the hours of two and three in the morning, and, so, why not prepare the next post!

We all love zippers, whether worn hidden in high-fashion or used as a statement in high-fashion, they make keeping ourselves contained so much easier; don't you think? Why is it that they are rarely referred to in novels? Just curious. Not sure how I'd do it but I know any one of you great authors out there can create the right scenario. I give you the 'go-to-it' sign!

Obviously, this is far too in-your-face for my tastes; unless, of course, it's attached to a very good-looking young man looking for some cougar moments... (I digress... 's'cuse)

Yet, we definitely want access to our many-pocketed gear holders and need them to be very obvious so that we know at a glance that they are closed and our contents safe, especially, when coming down the airline baggage chute!

The only ones that irritate me, no end, are the nylon zippers that pop open in the center(!) and then you spend so much time trying to get them closed, evenly. And, they do this at the most inappropriate moments; don't you think?

But, fellow Challengers, it's been a lovely April with so many interesting posts I've yet to visit (but, will, in the upcoming months) and hope that you've enjoyed the Challenge, too! Yes, it's time to close this year's event and tell you that I look forward to participating in next year's, as well. I even think I might get some posts scheduled, in advance. Ha, ha, ha. This last is not a real zipper but I loved the artist's conception and couldn't resist!

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Okay. Admit it. Some of you writers here on the Challenge have, in fact, read a cheap, sensational, novel; right? Novelette? Never?!? Mmmmmmm... I dunno.... I just dunno. If I told you that there's something to be said for a quick read that requires little, if any, thinking on your part, would you give it a try? C'mon, you can do it... it's just some cheap, sensational, yellowback, novel.

Yellow journalism is the lowest a writer can possibly go, in my opinion; but, writing a yellowback novel can be the start of a very lucrative career -- especially, under a catchy nom de plume. You're not tearing anyone down; you're just killing the King's English and taking the high road on prurient interest. You know people buy them. People just don't admit to buying them. "Someone" always gave it to them... or, they found it at the bus station. Right.
I think for a book to qualify as a Yellowback novel, it has to be, first of all, at least 200 pages long. Secondly, it must contain some form of sexy scene every nine pages, regardless of plot. The main character has to be enjoying erotic bliss in one form or another before discovering -- "Oh, oh, oh... that's it, Baby, that's perfect. You're the bes... -- Wait! What was I thinking? Of course!" -- the next clue.

Yup, right in the short rows, all action stops and our hero says, "Love the moment, Babe, but just figured out why that key was in my sock! Gotta go. Will call, Babe. I promise. I'll bring donuts."

And, off we go for another eight pages, until the hero succumbs to a little dalliance or the left-behind lady remembers "... that moment, when his hands..."

The jacket design may or may not relate to the actual story between the covers. It's at the whim of Design and what is selling au courant. If red and white checked jackets are moving books off the shelves, you can bet your sweet bippy, there'll be red and white checks on your cover. But, that's not the point.

The point is, yellowback writing is such fun to read. It gives your mind a chance to just let go and enjoy the ride -- and, oftentimes, that release helps resolve some sticky issues you may be having, elsewhere. We all know that to distract the mind will often leave room for solutions, so wouldn't it make sense to use that distraction time to read some wonderful yellowback novel?

You'll never know, if you don't try. And, should you find that you just can't bring yourself to admit that you paid for it, you can tell family and friends that I loaned it to you. Yippee!

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Friday, April 27, 2012

The xylophone is often confused with the vibraphone but they are two very distinctly different percussion instruments. For an in-depth clarification, here's a nice start. With the xylophone being the oldest, dating back to 3500 B.C., it's an easy one to construct yourself, or, so they say. The toys we see are based on the xylophone, having a distinct tone for each rib. Can you remember these?

But, my love of this percussion instrument came with listening to Benny Goodman's Band
and hearing Lionel Hampton, an all-round percussionist, make the angels cry with his vibraphone virtuosity. Here he is, introduced by none other than the Rage, Miss Patti Page, playing Flying Home on national television in 1957. Enjoy.

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

We all enjoy winning, don't we? Well, I do. Not every time there's a competition or drawing, but, at least, winning my share over a lifetime. (Okay. That's a lie. I do want to win ALL the time.) But, when you don't even realize you're in the running, winning is an even sweeter surprise. A feeling shared by my Gentleman Caller.

Apparently, it's a wonderful thing to win the shirt off a hockey player's back at the end of the season. My guess is, you really have to be a fan to want this, er, ah, honor. An honor, it appears, my Gentleman Caller aspires to and was beside himself with joy when he saw his name emblazoned on the big screen during the final period! Wow! He wasted no time scurrying down to the winner's circle.

What were the odds? His excitement knew no bounds. But, wait! Imagine his shock when he was told, after showing his Driver's License for identification, that he didn't win. Nope, seems somebody else with the same name won. WTF? When introduced to each other (that must have been a head-snapping moment), they shake hands and begin to exchange personal information. OG (Other Gentleman) and my Gentleman Caller (GC) are almost the same age. And, he is, in fact, the winner because the prize shirt is given to a seat number. wtf...

OG and GC begin talking and discover they live in the same town, attended the same college (OG entered college in the fall of the year GC graduated), followed the same careers, have season tickets that are in side-by-side sections of the same row. Will definitely get together, again. Winning!

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Most of you know that I like to garden -- edible vegetables! Oh, yeah, and, last night was my first meal from this year's garden, luscious fresh spinach with a variety of lettuces, green onions, and fresh herbs for my dressing. The broccoli heads were at different stages, but enough for a side dish.

It was during the selection of the best leaves and broccoli, plucking unwanted weeds, and watching my garden toad check for bugs, that it slowly dawned on me that my mind had retreated to that creative place so often visited in my studio when listening to classical music. It was like a holy place.

I know. I know. That could be an extreme example but, yet, gardening is a very spiritual experience. You're trowel-in-handing the very life process that has sustained mankind since mankind discovered what seeds could do, how to keep them over winter, plant in the spring, and feed his family the following year. You've joined a long line of ancestors, performing the same simple tasks, leaving the mind free to wonder, wander, and -- oh, you know where I'm going -- and, write. Yes, write. The visions and thoughts you have while gardening is mental note-taking at its finest -- at least, for me.

This is this year's crop of mixed greens, butter crunch lettuce, spinach, and the Roma tomatoes in the back of my waist-high garden. Can you see the stand of green onions behind them? I love this garden. And, yes, I munch on fresh spinach as I check for weeds. It's all totally mindless and, when the church bells ring the hour, I'm often overwhelmed with the joy and beauty of keeping a garden.

Now, mind you, the garden and orchard I keep in my retirement is nothing compared to the gardens I kept when I was younger. But, it more than feeds my smaller circle with plenty to put up for winter and spring use. And, it feeds my soul. So many half-finished ideas are firmed up whilst in the garden. Solutions to problems are revealed. And, new ideas sink deeper roots than when I'm anywhere else. I don't have my phone with me. No, this is my communion time with nature. No question, there's plenty of thoughts of food; but, the simplicity of it generates food for thought. At least, for me.

Where do you find your moments for ideas? Do you have a special corner for your retreat and reflection? I used to think I needed a specially-designed corner (and, I do love them!) but, rarely do I get my best ideas when enjoying their privacy. Nope, it's the vegetable garden... I'm pretty sure I was a peasant in my previous lives. Have a great day. I'm gonna have a great salad!

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

3: full of unction; especially: revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality

We've all known them, not because we sought them out but because they were brought to us by others equally smitten by their charms. You know who I mean, that suave (slick suave, not classy suave) individual who looks at you with all the innocence of an angel. They say all the right things, appear to do all the right things and, yet, something inside tells us they are being unctuous to a fault -- at our expense. Think Eddie Haskell of Leave It To Beaver. (I wonder: did the writer even suggest 'unctuous' as a character aid?)

Isn't that the sweetest face, on earth? But, that's because he knows how to set his features into what pleases the one he's conning. That mind has a whole different set of plans working. As it is with most con men/women.

More than most of us, these fellow humans have figured out how to read us. They know exactly how to say what we want to hear before moving in for the kill -- whether it's your pocketbook or your sense of security. The charlatans don't wear signs. Sadly, most of us don't see what they were until after the damage has been done.

Would you buy a used car from this smarmy gentleman? Wouldn't you rather he be called unctuous?

Unctuous is such a great word, really; don't you think? Yet, I've rarely seen it used in novels to describe characters. Oh, you get descriptions of backhanded, mealy-mouthed, double-dealing, fake, hypocritical, two-faced, insincere... and others you can think of, but, why won't fiction writers use "unctuous" when describing a jerk/jerkette? Is it because it's so complete in its own definition that writers would be left with nothing else to say?

Just askin'... I'm not a fiction writer, as anyone can readily see from my (at this moment) very empty fiction blog! (Sigh... ) Would I stop reading, once you told me that new guy was unctuous, because I know how it all ends? What do you think?

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Time is one of my favorite play-pretties, and it seems to be the same with my friends. It's exacting, elastic, exasperating, and unforgiving (I wish I would've thought of those three "E" words at the beginning of this challenge.).Those who view time at its most elastic, invariably, end up with those who prefer it to be exacting. Much like couples who are forever fighting over the thermostat. When viewed in its best light, having parents with opposite dedication to time would seem to create a more peaceful household. Bear in mind, I said "would seem." There really is no way to rush someone who habitually arrives 10 to 15 minutes after an event starts. They, on the other hand, have long since learned the trick of setting the clock back so that doesn't work, anymore.

On the other, other, hand, I'm not sure what this says about their respect for the moment or for the people that they are meeting. We have chosen to live in a world that uses a clock to determine when and where events occur. It wouldn't surprise me to find a rebel within the heart of people who choose to not pay attention to the time. Is it because they're jealous? Is it because they're still carrying childhood anger? Or, is it because they are so self-absorbed, they just don't care about anyone else because nothing really happens until they arrive on the scene...In my early years, when I told time by my dinosaur's shadow, it was easy to be late on a rainy day. Living in a day when one merely has to look at one's cell phone for the time, just how many times do you have to 'understand' why someone is always late.When, as the legal profession says, "one's estate matures," your time is up. I don't imagine I'll be late for that event. How about you? Are you an on-time individual? Do you arrive ten minutes early? A half hour early? Or, are you the one who always shows up at the theater fifteen minutes late but still expects to be seated during the first act -- which seat, by the way, is invariably in the center of the row, down front...

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Here I am, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, because I'm trying to get ready for the Midtown Market which opens for the first time, this season, in the morning. That means my butt has to be up by 5:30 a.m. and on its way to start setting up the tents, and all by 8:00 a.m. Well, there I was, rushing through the packing, humming, and, the first thing I knew, a song I wrote a few years ago popped into my head. It was just a silly little song that I wrote after overhearing some young women in the airport bathroom. My daughter had asked when I was going to write another song, when she kissed me goodbye before the flight and so it was on my mind.

The ladies were arguing about one's ex-husband whose check was always coming back NSF from the bank. Her friend suggested she call him and she responded, "No way. Why should I? When his blankety-blank check clears the bank, I'll take his call!" Well, if that isn't a country song, I don't know what is, and this is what I had written before the plane got in the air. I'll be back and let you hear it with the music when I figure out how to do the audio thingy, over the weekend.

When Your Check Clears the Bank, I'll Take Your Call

You're telling everybody, 'bout the time you had it all.Of our babies and our happy home, before you spoiled it all.You say, it's really me, you love; she was just a fling, that's all.Well, when you're check clears the bank, I'll take your call.

Chorus: Yes, when your check clears the bank, I'll take your call.I've learned to live without you, and your stumbling down the hall.You can have your rhinestone dollies, noisy jukebox, barroom brawls.And, when your check clears the bank, I'll take your call.

You say she's here, most every night, painted up to help men fall.A real tall drink, letting them forget, that license on the wall.She'll leave you in a heartbeat, when she finds you've spent it all.And, when your check clears the bank, I'll take your call.

Now, I'm the first to admit, that isn't Sibelius, but it's catchy and most folks remembered it, enough, to ask for it by name, while singing some of the lines to me. That's the sign of a good song -- one that folks remember long after they've heard it. And, to think, that little ditty started in an airport bathroom. Lyrics are everywhere; don't you agree!

Well, that's my S Challenge. Have a great weekend.

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Friday, April 20, 2012

The Renaissance Man or Woman is a polymath or someone with expertise in a wide variety of subjects. It was considered a compliment and a perfectly natural way of life a century or two back. You didn't stop learning, you were capable in the homily trades and, after you had studied one field, you expanded your knowledge into other areas of science, music, math, to develop a well-rounded mind. This was not something to be sneered at but a goal you wanted to achieve. More importantly, you took pride in your accomplishments and responsibility for your mistakes.

Today, being able to do many things is often sneered at, as though the person is so diversified they are willy-nilly about life and can't accomplish anything of value. The focus is on singular abilities, working within a team, and no one taking responsibility for mistakes because it was a group effort. We have become a country of singularly-trained people who can't even exercise without someone else telling them when to bend over and doing the counting for them.

In a rather convoluted way, writers fall into this stew of knowing much to-do but little how-to. 'Write about what you know' doesn't really mean you have to physically do everything you refer to in a story but that you've researched it enough so that you do know what you're talking about. In an Internet world where web sites have the singular purpose of finding fault and making sure the world knows about it, anything less than strong research from reliable sources would be very foolish, indeed.

Want to have some fun? Try this: Write a paragraph about flying a store-bought kite. Next, make a kite from scratch, fly it, then write a paragraph about flying that kite. In a hundred ways, this exercise highlights the difference between knowledge and experience. Can we do everything for ourselves, today, and still live in the 21st Century? Not really. You would never leave your home. But, that doesn't mean you can't do much of what needs to be done for yourself. The tools and resources are there and waiting for you to make use of them.

Without tolling the bell for utter disaster, I believe there's going to come a time when people are going to have to, once again, rely on themselves, kith and kin, to take care of the basics. Will we run out of energy? Not in many lifetimes, but we are going to run out of people with the capability to do the basics should the worst happen, if we don't stop belittling the trades.

It's heartening to see that there is a movement afoot to bring back the old skills. They call it 'greening.' It's really nothing more than being able to care for one's own. So many young adults have no idea what it means to pull their own weight within a family, developing the self-esteem that comes from being needed. "Oh, I want my child to have a happy childhood!" A noble thought, but, that's throwing out the baby with the bath water. You have to raise children to live in an adult world and, what you don't teach at the knee, you'll never accomplish in the teens. Every stage in a human's life is preparation for adulthood and a place within their community. Thinking anything less, to me, smacks of a sense of self-importance that boggles the mind.

Women have been Janes-of-all-Trades since the beginning of time. Today, it's called multi-tasking and it has become a goal in the male-dominated business world, mostly, within the last thirty years. Computers are visible on more bosses' desks, as they interact with customers and clients. Lawyers are able to set up offices without support staff, outsourcing only the phone services and payroll tasks. And, honestly, I've often wondered how much trouble the world would have been in, had our bankers and financiers been made to do more than just focus on how to merge companies into conglomerates, acquire more money, and taking a piece of everybody's pie. Sometimes, there's just too much time available to single-tasking that can be just as dangerous as an idle mind.

You don't have to know everything about everything; but, unless it's going to be your source of income, focusing on just one thing isn't necessarily the best thing, either. To me, the resourceful person can survive all the ups and downs of a lifetime. It seems to me that becoming a 21st Century Reneaissance Man/Woman could be quite liberating! What do you think?

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Questions, questions, questions. Sometimes, it feels as though my head is a-swirl with questions. One answer is never satisfactory. I need answers from different sources to formulate my own currently acceptable answer. See, even my own answers require constant adjustment! My quest for answers is a non-stop journey, like sweeping off waves before they sweep over me -- if you know what I mean.

Truth to tell, the Information Highway has added its own double-edged sword of allure and nightmare to the resource mix. I used to love planning a trip to the library for a sweet day of research. Like a hard-soled detective, I'd amass snips of this and bits of that on 3x5 cards from a table piled high with reference books. I still use the cards when web surfing for honing my resources, but have graduated to the 4x6 size. Then, with fresh pens and composition book in my little yellow basket, I'll traipse on down to my library with far less distractions. Oh, yes! Less distractions. I'm not even sure it's possible to just stop at one web site, without clicking those pretty little highlighted links -- know what I mean? Can't happen with a hard-copy book. Just serious research -- that is, if I can stay away from library computers!

How do you research? There's that burning question about ???? and your next step is to pursue the answer... Do you start with a fresh pack of index cards?

Go online and check out one or two sites? Or, fill your walls with Post-it notes?

Would love you to share.

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Are you a procrastinator -- putting off, today, what could have been an easy task to another day that turns into a frenzied nightmare of catch-up? As a writer, I'm often asked how I'm able to come up with ideas for my blog. Frankly, I've never thought about it, the process, you know, other than letting my subconscious feed me from the beautifully honed words of others that come from my deep love of reading. My Career Day opening line is always, "Who loves homework?" That's when I tell them the truth, that writing is non-stop homework and what they'll be doing for the rest of their lives. So, they better love it. You can actually see a career change in their eyes -- except, for that one guy in the back, focused on my every word. This guy wants to write.

But, it's important to understand that writers, just as anyone else, have to deal with their own patterns of procrastinating. Some need inspiration and do it by mingling with the public.

Others find that quiet contemplation is what helps them discover where their Muse has fled and whether or not they're up to the deadline task, after all.

And, then, we have the writer who believes in letting the mind flow without editing.

Finding the right tablet can help the procrastinator buckle down to the job.

While others find their confidence in other ways.

Sometimes, one procrastinates by tidying up that desk full of inspirational notes.

And, some of us need pretty intense outlines before we can finish the job.

Outside events can also occur and procratination isn't the problem; it's a side effect.

And, then, there's that time of year when we wait to the last minute to pay the piper -- even, with the extra two days, this year! My guess is, I'm not alone, here.

Yes, I'm a procrastinator (head hanging low) and wasn't ready for the P in the Challenge, resulting in this pictorial journey. But, then, it all came together!

Thank Q!

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Thanks to the Internet, we have a plethora of blogs written by women who freely share their opinions on everything that interests them, as well as blogs focused on specific interests. All are wonderful to read and show a depth of understanding that bodes well for our future. They are so prevalent, it's hard to believe there was a time when women were not allowed to have opinions, much less, speak them. Their husbands would give them their opinions! I'm not even going to address that. It's nice to pretend that attitude hasn't changed; but, I can assure you, it's just as prevalent, today, as it was just a very short time ago.The 'How can she?" "What's wrong with her?" attitude is there in the body language, the rolling eyes, the mouth-mimicking hand, the shared looks of pity, that there's been a social faux pas -- a woman has dared speak out and share an opinion. (As if there's a special place for women who don't voice an opinion around men. Well, there is; it's called childhood and servitude.) Of course, the rudest signal is from someone who feels so superior they show their hand to the speaker.

What is an opinion? An opinion is nothing more than the accumulated personal knowledge you have on any given subject. No one else will have this opinion! Isn't that wonderful! It follows, therefore, that there is no such thing as a wrong opinion. Don't ever let anyone tell you, otherwise. We can't help but have an opinion because our brains are geared to make sense of our world and surroundings and we have to answer questions that linger, thus forming our opinions.That doesn't mean we can't change those opinions when faced with more complete information. That's the sign of an adult mind -- someone not locked into their way and only their way of thinking. By the same token, don't always assume everyone else has all the right information and that you don't.

In forming an opinion, we bring our own prejudices and misinterpretations, in addition to any given us by others who may or may not have more current information. Facts can change, sometimes, within the very decade of an event because information becomes obsolete with every upgrade of equipment. A strong person will have no problem in refining or changing their opinion. The person who plays "devil's advocate" helps you to clarify your facts and reshape your opinion, if necessary. On the other hand, the devil's advocate who refuses to alter their thinking, in the face of new evidence, is simply being mule-headed. I personally feel that opinions are a necessary part of human communication. It is only by speaking out that we can validate where we stand on ideas and issues. Now, there are people who will tell you that you have a right to your opinion (not always a friendly statement) but will insist that you accept their way of thinking or you become their enemy. Whilst that may be true so far as patriotic allegiance, it becomes ridiculous when you're discussing a favorite chocolate bar, color, or book.

NOT having an opinion, to me, is scary. That means you can be swayed in any direction or are willing to let others make all your decisions. A pattern that easily leads to gossip and, sometimes, shunning. Following a 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' way of communicating will always make you a welcome guest in any group. Opinions can be shared without attacking someone else or demanding that they feel as you feel.

Sharing an opinion doesn't mean shouting and hollering over another person until they see things your way, either. I think Teddy Roosevelt said it best when he said, "You have the right to an opinion; but, thank God, within that right is not the right to be taken seriously." There are no wrong opinions and you have as much right to share yours as the next person, without someone trying to make you feel bad. It's the best way to have an honest relationship. Of course, that's only my opinion.

For those of you who have just happened upon this page, do yourself a favor and check out a group of fantastic bloggers. You're bound to find someone you might like to follow. Don't forget to leave some loving comments and spread the word. It could even inspire you to think about joining next year's Challenge, yourself!

About Me

I'm a cookbook author, "A Month of SUNdays - Solar Cooking at Home," entrepreneur, and inventor of The Solar Chief, a solar oven specifically designed for the mainstream cook. Welcome to my blog and a whole new way to reduce fossil fuel usage, enjoy great meals, and put money back into your own pockets. About five years ago, I discovered a secret -- mainstream cooks had never heard of solar cooking. Why? Why shouldn't lower energy bills be available to everyone? Why shouldn't everyone be able to reduce their impact on fossil fuel usage? Once you use a solar oven, cooking is free for the life of that oven -- 20 to 40 years of free cooking. Now, that's a secret that has to be shared! Rockin' Chair Reflections is for sharing my thoughts on everything else. Fiction Forays is where I plunge into the world of fiction writing because it's on my bucket list.